


Midnight

by Medie



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Community: hc_bingo, F/M, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-17
Updated: 2010-07-17
Packaged: 2017-10-10 14:38:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/100861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medie/pseuds/Medie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It just seems that wherever Charlie happens to be, Colby Granger will make an appearance sooner or later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for [](http://hc-bingo.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**hc_bingo**](http://hc-bingo.dreamwidth.org/) prompt - bodyguards My thanks to [](http://swingandswirl.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**swingandswirl**](http://swingandswirl.dreamwidth.org/), [](http://noveltea.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**noveltea**](http://noveltea.dreamwidth.org/) and [](http://mari4212.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**mari4212**](http://mari4212.dreamwidth.org/) for the beta. cis-gender-change with Colby Granger as always been female. Dustjacket made by [](http://noveltea.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**noveltea**](http://noveltea.dreamwidth.org/)

  
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It's not the first time that he's found them like this. It's not even remotely close to the first time. It's embarrassing to admit, but he's lost count of just how many. It just seems that wherever Charlie happens to be, Colby Granger will make an appearance sooner or later. He's not even sure when it happened, can't remember which of Don's cases had led him to send her to the house, but it did. One case, then another, and then another, and then one day it was Colby in jeans and a faded t-shirt with nary a case in sight.

These days, she's a permanent fixture no matter what the hour of the day. Tonight, it's oh-something in the morning and there's no case, not this time, but that stopped mattering a long time ago.

Charlie's asleep on the couch, his head a mass of curls in Colby's lap. She's got one arm draped over his shoulders, her head back against the couch, and there's an abandoned legal pad and pen on the floor before them. Papers and a laptop spread out in a circle from that.

Alan takes his time coming down the stairs. The faint light of the living room offers little help, but he's not worried about a fall. It's not the first time he's found Colby Granger asleep in his house and Alan figures it's not fair to scare another few decades off her life by stepping on a creaky board again.

He grins at the thought now, but her life hadn't been the only one to lose a few years. Face to face with an off-duty weapon in your own kitchen is definitely not the way a man likes to start an early day.

Don's never seen her visit. Alan's not sure why, but he knows it's by Colby's design. Charlie wouldn't think of it and, even if he did, would never suggest it, but there's no other explanation for the timing. Colby always manages to come and go without ever running into Don.

There's a blanket draped across Charlie's back. Colby's doing. Alan's not sure when, precisely, she appointed herself his protector, but there's no doubting that she has. Initially, he'd thought it something to do with Don. Possibly seeking her boss's approval, but her avoidance of him suggests otherwise.

What it does suggest brings a smile.

"You're in love with my son, aren't you?" he murmurs, not meant to be heard.

Colby opens her eyes, her voice a sleepy whisper that catches Alan off-guard. "Could be."

Stumbling, he catches himself on the wall and smiles sheepishly. "I'm sorry," he says, just as quiet. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She returns the smile. "You didn't. Well, you _did_, but not like that." She shrugs. "Hazard of the job. You get used to it."

"Yes, so I've noticed." There are a lot of things about Don's career that he'd never expected to get used to, but somehow had managed to come to terms with. That he has managed is, well, something altogether more disturbing. Sitting down, Alan takes in the sight before him, feeling quite undisturbed by it all. This he wouldn't mind getting used to. "You know, not that Charlie would have you believe, he does have an actual bed in this house."

Colby flushes. "I didn't have the heart to move him."

Alan contemplates that for a moment, on the verge of offering wholly inappropriate advice to a woman who is not his daughter. At least, not in actuality. Leaving aside any potential matrimonial connections - something he's not ever going to mention lest one, or both, of his sons helpfully remove his head - she is a member of Don's team. One of Charlie's friends.

They're not biologically his children, but he's not above playing the proverbial den mother to the lot of them.

And something about Colby invites that. She's quite capable of killing him a half dozen times over, but there's a sadness in her eyes. Whatever story put it there he doesn't know. What he does know of her life is cobbled together from the bits and pieces Don and Charlie have mentioned. Beyond that scant data, her life is an unfortunate blank.

"My son loves you, you know," he says, low enough that Charlie can't hear him. Not that it matters, Charlie sleeps like the proverbial dead (when he slept) and even more so with Colby around.

Colby's smile dims, her gaze falling on Charlie's curly head. "In his way."

"Well, that's the only way for any of us," Alan chuckles. "Charlie just likes to write his out in the form of equations." He tips his head, giving her a knowing look. "And some of us do it with nine millimeters."

"He shouldn't see the things we do," Colby sighs. "I -- "

"Try to tell him," Alan nods. He doesn't sigh himself. He's long past the point of sighing where Charlie's work with the FBI is concerned. He'll never give up the sleepless nights, but he's made his peace. "So have I. So has Don. You'll tell him again and again. Some days, it's almost enough to make your head explode."

Her eyes warm with laughter. "Another one of those expressions?"

"Yes," he says. "And he'll do the same." He's not looking forward to Charlie's next bout with P versus NP, but he does know it'll probably have something to do with the woman in front of him.

"Or he won't," Colby murmurs. "He'll retreat."

Right. She's seen that for herself.

"And you'll follow."

She doesn't deny it and Alan smiles.

"Good."

Colby blinks. "I didn't say anything."

He grins, getting up. "You said enough." A second's searching and he's draping a blanket around her shoulders, slipping a cushion in behind that. "Get some rest," he says. "With this one, you're going to need it."


End file.
